Snap-on egg beater



April 4, 1950 Filed Jan. 14, 1949 v H. c. JONES 2 5M571 SNAP-0N EGG BEATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

HA RR y C. d0/VES April 4, 19150 H. c. JONES 2,502,571.

- SNAP-0N EGG BEATER Filed Jan. 14, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVEN TOR.

HARRY G e/O/VfS Patented Apr. 4, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SNAP-N EGG BEATER Harry 0. Jones, Magnolia, Ark.

Application January 14, 1949, Serial N0. 70,941 6 Claims. (01. 259-.431)

This invention relates to kitchen utensils and devices, such as egg beaters, and particularly toa separable, sanitary 'egg beater which I prefer to term a snap-on egg beater.

The main object of my invention is to provide sanitary and easily cleaned means for beating eggsf whipping cream and for other purposes, which may be completely taken apart and dismantled for thoroughly cleaning and sterilizing the same throughout, so that it will be entirely sterile'and sanitary when used for the beating or whipping operation.

Another object is to provide a separable egg beater in which not only the heaters or agitators may be removed, for washing and sterilizing, but also the frame, drive gear, hand crank and other parts may be disassembled to allow individual cleaning of every part before reassembling the beateras a whole.

A further object is to have a separable egg beater of the indicated character which is quickly reassembled and virtually snapped together for use in a convenient-manner.

It is also an object of the invention to build up the beater, of several simple parts which are easily manufactured and readily replaced when worn out or lost, so that the egg beater may be used indefinitely. I

' Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in further detail as the specification proceeds.

In order to facilitate ready comprehension of this invention for a proper appreciation of the salient features thereof, the invention is illustrated On, the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, and in which:

Figure l is a frontelevation of an egg beater made according to the invention and embodying the same in a practical form;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of thesame egg beateras seen from the right in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical, section taken on line 3 -3 in Figure 2, some parts being shown merely in fragmentary section;

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on line 4-4 in Figure 1;

Figure 5 i a partial section taken on line 55 in Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken on line 6-6 in Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section of detail:

Figure 8 is anenlarged perspective view of the sverse frame member of Figures 1, 2, 3 an Figure'l) is an. enlarged section taken on line 9-9 in Figure 2.

'Throughout the views, the same reference numerals indicatethe same or like parts.

It need scarcely be stated that it is a matter o common knowledge that everything that has to do with .the'preparation of food must be sani-- tary'andof such nature as to be capable of being Lil in hot water or rinsed thereby, but such treat ment is, after all, rather perfunctory, and even if tolerably well performed, is still actually'insufficient from a strictly sanitary viewpoint. In

order to thoroughly clean an egg beater, it is necessary to use hot water, cleanser and a brush capable of reaching even the smallest interstices between the parts, and considerable labor would be required to effect thorough --cleansing of the device. This is true despite the fact that the utmost cleanliness is actually required in order to make certain that contamination will not be caused by adhering particles of matter upon the egg beater involved.

Upon considering this problem, it has occurred to me that an egg beater or the like should be capable of being completely apart and dismantled so that the individual parts may bereached' from every side and cleaned by dishcloth or brush in hot suds or water. The separable egg beater should, of course, be conveniently reassembled for use without delay as soon as cleaned and dried. As a result, I have succeeded in producing a separable egg beater as outlined whic will now be more particularly described.

Hence, in the practice of my invention, and

referring again to the drawings, an egg beater,

generally indicated 'at IU, primarily includes a frame consisting of three parts, namely, two opposed frame members I l and I2 and a transverse frame member l3 separably' held together in a manner which will now be detailed. The two frame members H and I2 have intermediate contiguous portions l4 and I5 normally held directly in contact by means of a double-pronged spring I6 riveted or otherwise secured to frame portion I 5 by means of a rivet I! and provided with a pair of flaring retaining members l8. l8 capable of being forcibly separated for inserting or releasing the opposite frame member I4 into or from between the inwardly extending opposite jaws l9 within the flaring members N3, the construction being best shown in section of Figure 6. Above the contiguous intermediate portions I4 and I 5 of the frame members H and I2, these members diverge'at 20, 2| equal distances toward the sides and then are bent upwardly to form opposite parallel handle-gripping ends 22. 23. Within the upper ends of the parallel members 22 and 23, the latter are hemispherically indented, as indicated at 24 and 25, to fit in dished recesses 26 and"?! in the ends of a substantially cylindrical handle member 28. If the latter is contoured and the indented portions '24 and 25 are solid instead of being indented, the purpose of the invention are still served. I

Below the intermediate. frame members l4 and? l5, the frame sections H and I2 are bent outwardly a short distance in opposite directions and then downwardly again in parallelism to form the shoulders 29 and 39 and thedepending parallel spaced legs 3| and 32 providing a working. space 33 between them for a hand-operated gear 34 of which more later.

The lower portions of pendent legs 3| and 32 are bent apart at 35 and 36 and then abruptly bent outwardly in opposite directions to form the ears 31 and 38 The latter ears at their outer endsare bent downwardly to form the depending tongues 39 and 49 having outwardly-extending terminals 4| 'and'42.'

In the assembled condition of the egg beater as awhole, the depending tongues 39mm .49 extend down through a pair of transverse slots 43 and 44,..best seen in Figures 3, land 8, within the endsof the transverse frame member I3 with ears 31 and 38 resting on saidmember and the terminals 4| and 42 disposed immediately bewith a series of long spur-teeth 45 and mounted upon a short crank shaft 46 to which it is welded or brazed at 41. Upon both sides of gear 34 are mounted a pair of hollow, hemispherical hubs 48, 49 provided with outwardlyrprojecting trunnions 59, extending in opposite: directions through bearing holes-52', 53 in the depending legs 3| and 32 offrame member's II and 42. The trunnion 59 upon the insid forms a socket for one end of gear shaft, 46, while the other trunnion 5 forms an internallysquare socketfo'r the square end 54 of shaft 46, so that rotation of trunnions 5| and thus of hub member 49 will positively rotate shaft 46 and gear 34. Exteriorly of depending leg 32'on frame member |2 the mentioned trunnion 5| also formsan internally square socket 5 for the inner square end- 56 of a, crank 51 provided with a rotatable, but separable,"handle 58-. The -mentioned handle is composed of a pair of opposite shells 59, 59. In order to provide clearancefor the gear 34,'the transverse frame member 3 has an intermediate channel portion. 5| extending downwardly a sufficient distance to clear the teeth 45, with the result that whenhandle 58 is gripped and crank 51 rotated, the gear. 34 willbepositively rotated with "its hubs 48 and 49 rotating'therewith and trunnions 59 and 5| rotating in bearing holes 52 and 53 in the depending frame legs 3 and 32. The two shell members 59 andififl onhandle '58 are separable, each having at the end thereof a spring provided with an'inwardly-notched portion '63 formed by indentingthespring and nor mallyengaging in a corresponding indentation on notch 64 in the'other-handl'e shell member, as best shown in Figure 9. when the two shell members-59 andeBUareassembled upon crank 51, the resulting end apertures 65 and 66 fit upon theend of the crank rotatably toallow "rotation of the handle as aunit upon the end of the crank.

Preferably, frame members II and l2'and intermediate frame member'l3 are made of strip metal, suchas strip steel or the like, andthe hubs and shafts and other parts, except handle 28, are also preferably made Of-metal, while the handle 28rmay be made iof'iwood or plastic, or

any suitable material, but may also be simply a metal tube, if so desired. The remaining portions of the device about to be described are also preferably made of metal in keeping with the parts already described.

A short distance upon either side of the downwardly-extending intermediate channel 6| on transverse frame member l3 are a pair of holes 61, 68 (both appearing in Figure 3, but only one shown -in- Figure 8), above which are rigidly erected a pair of rigid, transversely-channeled sockets 69,19 which are open at the outer opposite sides and register with the holes 61 and 68 in such fashion as to receive the upper ends 1| and 12 of a U-shaped support generally indicated at; 13 and including-a pair of upwardly-extending legs 14, 15 and the lower transverse interconnecting member 16 in such fashion as to serve as bearings for a pair of beater assemblies, generally indicated at 11 and 18.

Upon each of the legs 14 and 15 is fixed a flange, as shown at 19, 89, the flanges servingv in both cases to support a pair of rotatablymounted gear hubs 8|, 82 upon the upper ends 1| and 12 of the mentioned legs 14 and 15 be-. neath transverse frame member |3. Upon theupper end ofv gear hub8| is fixed asmall pinion 83, preferably integral-therewith. and meshing with teeth 45 on gear 34 within channel 5|, the teeth 85 extending through a slot 86 in one side 81 of channel 6| in such fashion that the slot virtually retains the hubBl and gear 83 assembled upon the upper end 1| of leg 14 .with the teeth 85 meshing with. teeth- 45 of the large. drive gear 34. In: similar fashion, upon the upper portion ofhub 82 is rigidly fixed the pinion 84 having the teeth 88 thereof extending through slot 89.

(Figure 8) in theother sidewall 99 of channel 5| to .mesh with the previously-mentioned teeth 45 On drive gear 34 at a lower level than in the case of teeth. 85 of gear 83.- In order to effect. the proper spacing of gears 83 and. 84 so that thelatter will .be below the former, the upper end of hub BZiseXtended upwardly to form an.

upper spacing portion 9| engaging against the under side oftransverse framemember l3. It is thus obvious that.when.crank.51 is rotated to causerotationof pinion 34,. the teeth 45 ofv the lattermeshing. with both gears 83and 84 will rotate the latter simultaneously inv opposite directions. In similar fashion, .as in the case of pinion 83, the second .gear.84 is virtually retained in assembly withframe'member I3 and in position upon the upperend 12 of leg 15 by its extension through slot 89 inthe side. 90 of channel member 6|= with theteeth 88.meshing with the teeth of drive gear .34.

The pinion hubs 8| andv 82 are preferablysquare, or at least polygonal in cross-section, and provided upon each side with pairs of gripping fingers 92, 93 spaced apart and projecting toward each other in effective positions to frictionally hold the upper ends 94, 94 of beaters or agitators 91 upon the flat sides. 95, 96 of hubs 8| and 82. The lower outwardly-arched portions of the individual-heaters or agitators 91-, 91 terminate at the lower .ends .indnwardly-arched extremities 98,98 in such position as to be rotatable about, but out of contact with, thelower. endsof legs Hand 15 at 99 and-m9 when drive gear 34 is rotated by operation of 'crank 51.

When the mentioned crankis' rotated by grasping handle 58 in one hand to rotate the drive gear 34 and the eggbeater held upright by means of handle 28 held in the other hand, the beater auoaem 91 will rotate aboutthe two-upper ends II "and of about the lower ends 99 and I90 of legs I4 and I5. The latter feature. contributes to the assembling and disassembling of the egg beater asawhole.

- In other words, after the device has been used and is to be cleaned, the individual'beaters 91, 91' are'withdrawn downwardly from between the retaining fingers 92 and 93 on hubs 8| and 82, and then the upper intermediate portions I4 and I5 of frame members I and I2 are separated by dissociating member I4 from the spring IB by 'sepa rating the jaws I9, performed bypulling members I4 and I5 apart, and also pulling crank 51 free of the socket-shaped trunnion 5|. Thereafter, the frame members II and I2 are spread apart at the upper ends, freeing trunnions 50 and 5| and allowing'hubs 48 and 49 to be freed fromgear 34 and its shaft 46, the handle 28 be-' tween the upper members 22 and 23 of the frame portions I and I2 being also freed and laid aside. Upon then grasping the transverse frame member or plate I3, first one framemember II is lifted with its extreme lower end 4| free of slot 43 in member I3, and then also frame member I2 with its extreme lower outer end 42 lifted" free of slot 44 in the same transverse frame member I3. 'This'remo-val of the frame members II and I2 from the transverse frame member or plate I3 frees the upper ends II and I2 of legs 14 and 15 from their normally gripped friction hold against the interiors of sockets 69 and III so'that the U-shaped member consisting of legs I4 and I5 and the lower transverse member 16 may readily be withdrawn downward through holes 6! and 68 in frame member I3, after which the hubs 8| and 82 with their pinions 83 and 84 are individually lifted freeof said upper ends II and "I2 of legs I4 and I5. Finally, the handle 58 is separated into its shell portions 59and 68 by pulling these members apart, thus forcibly releasing the springs 62 at the ends thereof and thereby exposing the crank 51 from end to end without handle member 58 mounted thereon.

When the parts are all thus dissociated, they may readily be cleaned in hot, soapy water with a dishcloth' or brush and all dirt and germs and food traces, etc., readily removed so thatevery part is completely sterile.

Reassembling the egg beater is substantially'a reversal of the foregoing steps, the handle shells 59 and 60 being snapped together upon'the outer end of crank 51. Then, hubs8| and 82 are mounted upon the upper ends II and I2 of the legs I4 and I5, whereafter these legs are thrust upwardly through holes 61 and 68 in frame member I3, taking care that pinions 83 and 84 are properly introduced from opposite sides into the slots 86 and '89 in the sides 8! and 98 of the channel portion 6| in the member I3. Thereafter, the terminals 4| and 42 of frame members II and I2 are introduced into end slots 43 and 44 of frame member or plate I3, the hubs 48 and 49 then assembled on shaft 46 on opposite sides of gear 34, and the trun-nions 59 and 5| of said hubs introduced into the bearing holes 52 and 53 of legs 3| and 32 of the frame members lI.-'and l2. Just before snapping spring I6" on intermediate frame nortion|5 into assembled relation with corresponding member I4, the ham: dle 28v is inserted between upper ends 22 and 23 of the frame members. The ends I8 and jaws I9 are then allowed to snap into place about the edges of frame member I4. When the handle 58 is assembled with crank 51, it is then also assembled with the beater by inserting the crank with its square end 56 into the outer square socket portion of trunnion 5| and the main body of the beater is assembled with the widened portions 35 and 36 of legs 3| and 32 engaging frictionally against the upper "ends I! and I2 of legs I4 and I5 and holding them under pressure against the interiors of the upwardly-extending sockets 69 and I3 and thereby retaining legs 14 parts and features may be modified or used with-' out others within the scope of the appended claims.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim: 1. A separable beater comprising a pair of vertical frames, first means separably assembling said frames in side by side relation, said frames terminating at their upper ends in handle portions, a handle connected to and between said handle portions, said frames having laterally spaced intermediate portions and terminating at their lower ends in laterally outwardly directed ears, a transverse frame member removably positioned in engagement with the underside of said ears, second means separably connecting said ears to said transverse frame member, a manually rotatable crankshaft removably journalled transversely through the said intermediate portion "of said vertical frames, a gear wheel non-rotatably mounted on said crankshaft between said intermediate portions, a pair of transversely spaced vertical sockets on said transverse frame member, a pair of vertical shafts terminating attheir upper ends in terminals frictionally and separably'inserted upwardly in said sockets and having retain-- ing flanges spaced below said transverse frame member, beater hubs removably journalled on said shafts above said retaining flanges, said hub having pinions in mesh with said gear wheel, and beaterarms removably secured to circumferentially spaced points on said hubs;

2. A separable beater comprising a pair of vertical frames, first means separably assembling said "frames inside by side relation, said frames terminating at their upper ends in handle portions, a handle connected to and between said handle portions, said frames having laterally spaced intermediate portions and terminating at their lower ends in laterally outwardly directed ears, a transverse frame member removably posi tioned in engagement with the-underside of said ears, second means separably connecting said ears" to said transverse framemember, a manually mediate portions, a pair of transversely spacedverticalsockets on said transverse frame member,

a pair of vertical "shafts terminating at their upper ends in terminals frictional ly and separably;

n erted upwardlyin said socket's'and having tainingi" flanges spaced I below said transverse frame member, beater hubs removably journalled on said shafts above said retaining flanges, said hubs having pinions in mesh with said gear wheel, and'beater arms removably secured to circumfers entially spaced points on said hubs, said shafts terminating at their lower ends in a cross member spacing and connecting said shafts.

3 A. separable beater comprising a pair of vertical frames, first means separably assembling said frames-in side by side relation, said frames terminating at their upper ends in handle portions,"

a handle connected to and between said handle portions, said-frames having laterally spaced intermediate portions "and terminating at their lower ends in laterally outwardly directed ears, a transverse frame member removably positioned in engagement with the underside of said ears,

second means separably connecting said ears to said transverse frame member, a manually rotatable crankshaft removably journalled transverselythrough the said intermediate portions of said vertical frames, a gear wheel non-rotatabli mounted on said crankshaft between said intermediate portions, a air of transversely spaced vertical sockets on said transverse frame member, a pair of vertical shafts terminating at their upper ends in terminals-frictionally and separably inserted upwardly in said sockets and having retaining flanges spaced below said transverse frame member, beater hubs removably journalled on said shafts above said retaining flanges; said hubs having pinions in mesh with said gear Wheel, and beater arms removabl secured to circumferentiallyspaced points on said hubs, said shafts terminating at their lower ends in a cross member spacing and connecting said shafts, said beater arms terminating at their lower ends in radially inwardly directed terminals spaced from the lower ends of said shaft above said cross member.

4. A'separable beater comprising a pair of ver-' tical frames, first means separably assembling said frames in side by side relation, said frames terminating at their upper ends in handle portions, a handle connected to and between said handle portions, said frames having laterally spaced intermediate portions and terminating at their lower ends in laterally outwardly directed ears, a transverse frame member removably positioned in engagement with the underside of said ears, second means separably connecting said ears to said transverse frame member, a manually rotatable crankshaft removably journalled transversely through the sai'dlintermediate portions of said-vertical frames, a gear wheel non-rotatably mounted on said crankshaft between said intermediate portions, a pair of transversely spaced vertical sockets onsaid transverse frame member, a pair of vertical shafts terminating at their upper ends in terminals frictionally and'separably inserted upwardly in said sockets and having retaining flanges spaced below said transverse frame member, beater hubs removably journalled on said shafts above said retaining flanges, oneofsaid hubs having-an upwardly extending portion rotatably engaging the underside of said transverse frame member, said hubs having pinions in m'eshwith said'gear wheel; andbeater' arms removably secured to circumierentiallyspaced points on said hubs-,said transverse frame member having a central depending channel into which the lower edge of said gear wheel extends,-

the opposed walls of said channel being formedwith horizontal slots located at different. levels,

the pinions onthe said hubs .beingpositioned on r tioned in engagement with the underside of said ears, second means separably connecting said: ears to said transverse frame member, a manually rotatable crankshaft removably journalled trans-' versely through the said intermediate portions of said vertical frames, a gea wheel non-rotatablymounted on said crankshaft between said intermediate portions, a pair of transversely spaced vertical sockets on said transverse frame memher, a pair of vertical shafts terminating at their upper ends in terminals frictionally and separably inserted upwardly in said sockets and having retaining flanges spaced below said transverseframe member, beater hubs removably journalled on said shafts above saidretaining flanges, said hubs having pinions in mesh with said gear wheel,

andbeater arms removably secured to circumferentially spaced points on said hubs, said first means comprising a spring clip arranged to removably embrace portions of said vertical frames.

6. A separable beater comprising a pair of ver-: tical frames, first means separably assembling said frames in side by side relation, said frames terminating at their upper ends in handle portions,-a handle connected to and between said handle portions,- said frames having laterally spaced intermediate portions and terminating at their lower ends in laterally outwardly directed ears, a transverse frame member removably positioned in engagement with the underside-of said ears, second means separably connecting said ears to said transverse frame member, a manually rotatable crankshaft removably journalled transversely" through the said intermediate portions of said vertical frames, a gear wheel non-rotatably mounted on said crankshaft between said intermediate'portions, a pair of transversely spaced' vertical sockets on said transverse frame memher, 'a pair of vertical shafts terminating at their upper ends in terminals frictionally and separably inserted upwardly in said sockets and having retaining flanges spaced below said transverse frame member, beater hubs removably journalled onsaid shafts above said retaining flanges, said hubshaving pinions-in mesh with said gear wheel, and beater arms removably secured to circumferentially spaced points on said hubs, said sec-' ond m'eans comprising laterally outwardly directed tongues on the outer end of said ears, said transverse frame member being formed with transversely spaced slots through which said tongues can be inserted into engagement with-the underside'of said transverse frame member.

HARRY C. JONES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Lienhard Mar. 12,"1940: 

